LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dear Readers!

The magazine you hold in your hands is a rebranded version of what you may have previously encountered under the name of Russian Singapore. After our first issue was delivered to reading audiences in both Russia and Singapore, we undertook a survey among many of our readers. It turned out that the majority did not think that the former title did justice and gave full credit to the rather comprehensive coverage that the magazine featured. Russian Singapore brought to mind a community of Russian expats living in Singapore, automatically designating them as the target audience.

However, with all due respect to my fellow countrymen living in the city-state, to some of whom I am very grateful for their valuable comments and feedback on the magazine's inaugural issue, this is not entirely true. The way the magazine is shaped implies searching for ties between Russia and Singapore as two countries, on various levels at that. This is why we have come up with a new title: 103rd Meridian East. Inexistent in reality but so vivid on globes and maps, this meridian is an imaginary line of longitude that runs through both Singapore and Russia, covering picturesque Malaysia, history-filled Cambodia, tourists hotspots Thailand and Laos and fast-changing China along the way.

In Russia, the 103rd meridian east lies just a few kilometres west of Russia's most recognised natural icon – Baikal Lake – the deepest, purest and, in volume, biggest lake in the world. On the map, it is straight above Changi, which, in turn, is one of Singapore's icons, being home to the world-renowned Changi Airport.

With all this taken into account, 103rd Meridian East seems a more suitable name for our bilingual, bicultural publication, which aspires to act as a guide for those interested in both countries' histories, business, lifestyle and people. Adhering to the policy of providing verified, factual informant to our readers, we hope to be a go-to publication for those in need of cultural orientation, so let us be your point of reference.

Sincerely yours, Julia Sherstyuk
Editor-in-Chief